The Digital Marketing Blog

As New Mobile Tech Becomes Mainstream, The More Important SMS Becomes

When I was at the Digital Music Forum in Hollywood, one attendee posed this question, which was posted (ironically, via SMS) on the giant screen next to one panel: Since mobile phones are all going to be Internet- and email-capable anyway, is there any point in creating messages/campaigns specifically for SMS?

The answer of course is yes.

First, not all consumers want phones that do much more than voice and SMS, and maybe take photographs. And price points make such ”simple” phones accessible to the most people, so these methods of communication will reach the largest demographic.

Second, text messages have a different function than email – they’re a short alert that reaches the consumer ”wherever, whenever,” ideal for time-sensitive news. That’s different from the comprehensive information that email offers, such as details of a new product or links to a brand’s web site. Both types of messages, then, are equally valuable in a multi-channel campaign.

Third, as new mobile technologies such as locations-based services, maps/directions, and weather reports become more mainstream, text-messaging will continue to grow by leaps as well. eMarketer last week reported that global mobile ad spending will grow to $19.1 billion in 2012, up from $2.7 billion in 2007 – and text-messaging (SMS, MMS) will make up $14.2 million of that $19.1 billion. In other words, texting will account for than three-quarters of all mobile ad spend.

Consumers are paying for the latest mobile tech – for example, Telephia says they paid about $9.23 per month for location-based services, and $3.82 for weather reports. Text-message marketing can further leverage these, whether it’s a coffee shop offering a special latte to a nearby customer, or a tire company touting a snow tire sale to the recipient of a cold-weather report.

SMS, then, is becoming more relevant, rather than less, as more advanced mobile technology comes into the mainstream.

I agree, a campaign created especially for SMS is a great idea, Our company just ran one using Mozes,we got a good response. And the fact that it reaches more customers is a big selling point. We have been planning to run a similar such campaign again during our coming seminar. I think more people identify with SMS rather than fancy visuals on their mobiles. It is a great platform to leverage on.